Test-Drive Meme - January Pre-Game

[thewatchers]

TESTDRIVE MEME
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Gently falling snow and a biting chill welcome students and faculty alike as they return to campus for the beginning of the Winter term. The constant buzz of helicopters delivering students back from their holiday fills the air, and charter busses can be seen coming in and out for hours. Slowly but surely, Daybreak Academy is coming alive once again with the sound of conversation and laughter.

It’ll be a few days before classes resume, but there are a number of fun events on campus to help students re-adjust to campus life, or learn the ins and outs if they are recent arrivals. Faculty, of course, will need to get to work immediately. Lesson plans and mission assignments wait for no-one, after all.

[All threads in this meme may be treated as canon should all involved characters be accepted into the game. Normally, the Faculty meeting will be held at the end of every month ICly, as this is the start of the game we’re incorporating it into the Test Drive. Faculty who accept missions will retain those mission assignments for the month, should they be accepted into the game. If not, we will distribute the remaining missions as needed to the Faculty who are accepted in.]


A. FACULTY IN-SERVICE
As is customary, the school faculty meet before the start of the next month to review the mission portfolios and determine who will be leading what, as well as discuss plans and concerns they might have regarding students. As it’s not uncommon for some students to attempt to listen in and get more details on the upcoming missions, the meeting place changes every month and some faculty serve as wardens to make sure students are kept away.

This month, the meeting is in Robespierre 401. The table is laid out with a number of pastries, snacks, and coffee for the assembled teachers and the projector is revved up and ready to go, with readily available laser pointers for any faculty giving presentations. The day’s Agenda will be discussing incoming students, discussing the start of the term and any expected issues, discussing the mission dossier and assigning faculty, and a few presentations from faculty on ongoing projects and educational advances they feel are worth sharing.

[The following missions are on the docket, they will all require a Faculty volunteer to lead a group of 4-6 students. Running these logs will fulfill the Faculty member’s log requirement for the month of January. Full details will be provided to the Faculty member via Private Message after their application has been processed]

I Wonder What This Button Does
January 14th

At the start of the year, the vaults of the academy is opened and volunteers are allowed inside to help organize the growing collection of artifacts and treasures that is kept securely inside. Due to how old the collection is, many labels have faded and many items have undergone changes, so it has become imperative to keep an accurate record. For students, cataloguing the collection is considered extra credit, though any attempts to smuggle any artifacts out will be met with severe disciplinary action.

28 Bleach Vats Later
January 18th

Cassandra indicates a horde of zombies will materialize from the outland in North Dakota within the United States. As is customary, the horde has been auctioned on the Runic Markets. The winner this time is the American Defense Contractor Coldsteel. As part of the auction package, Daybreak Academy will provide Coldsteel with support and recovery.

This mission requires 2 Faculty members, each leading a group of 4-6 students for two portions of the mission.

Ocean’s Six
January 21st

Cassandra has provided a readout of all roulette results within the Casino strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, within the United States. As is customary, a group of students and an instructor is to be dispatched to garner as much winnings as possible without arousing suspicion. Participants who successfully earn money without their sources being discovered will be entitled to a commission based on their earnings. Students will be provided with $10,000 in seed money and false identifications if necessary.

With the power of foresight, enter Casinos with the winning numbers, make as much money as you can, and try not to get thrown out

Hunt - Several Bones to Pick
January 23rd

Cassandra has noted thick mists inside the Parisian catacombs have given birth to an undead monstrosity. Dubbed the Bone Horror, this monster is collecting parts from corpses to grow in size and strength. Prognostication indicates it will emerge from the Catacombs within a month’s time. It is to be destroyed.

Hunt - Dullahan Texas Ranger
January 28th

Cassandra has been tracking a Dullahan’s emergence in the US state of Texas for some time, and we predict he will begin to move soon. Prognostication indicates that the Dullahan has been absorbing the culture of the local area and styles itself to be something of a cowboy, with aims to slay any local humans that tread upon the area it deems its ranch. It is to be destroyed.


B. WINTER BANQUET
It is customary for Daybreak Academy to hold a grand banquet at the start of every term, and today is no exception. Part celebration, part ice-breaker, the Grand Banquet is a chance for students and faculty to mingle, meet new people, and share a delicious meal.

Today, the tables are arrayed with thick roasts, massive turkeys, and whole pigs as the main course, as well as giant tofu and mushroom platters for the vegetarian and vegan students. Massive dishes heaped with breads and pastries line the tables, as well as broad bowls filled with any number of salad and side ingredients. The table centerpieces elevated ice sculptures of (allegedly) mythological creatures such as pegasi, griffins and dragons standing atop a giant pillar of ice that is surrounded with cold desserts on tiered platters.

While there is an abundance of food, with as many ravenous students as there are it is depleting quickly. Fortunately, an array of servants, both living and golem, are on hand to replace empty platters and assist as needed.

C. DORM ROOM ICEBREAKERS
With the chill of winter setting in, what better way to warm hearts and spirits than dorm icebreakers? Whether you agree with this or not, chances are - especially if you’re new - your RA has dragged you to the common area to participate in a number of (arguably) fun Icebreaker activities that were likely found by checking the first Google result.

Fortunately for those with lower tolerances to people and/or cheesiness, with the whole dorm turned out for these activities, escape may be possible! Unfortunately, many among the student body have heightened senses and supernatural combat abilities. Either way, it’s gonna be a rough evening.

D. IRIS NETWORK
It’s that time again. With the start of Winter Term, returning students and faculty need to update their Iris Network profiles with their current dorm residence and any new credits, class statuses, or accolades they may have earned. New students and faculties will have their profiles pushed to the top in an effort to help them integrate into the broader network, and it’s customary to post responses to people’s updated profiles “Liking” their content and making plans to meet up.

The code below will allow you to update your Iris Network Profile for the new term. Better get it up and see who all responds.

[The below code will ultimately be used for the profile for your character upon acceptance to Daybreak Academy. Please replace or fill in all text in the areas that are capitalized and do not delete any code lines]

<lj-raw><center><div style="max-width:250px;margin:0 auto;font-family:helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#777;-webkit-column-count:auto;-moz-column-count:auto;column-count:auto;-webkit-column-gap:15px;-moz-column-gap:15px;column-gap:15px;-webkit-column-width:250px;-moz-column-width:250px;column-width:250px;"> <div style="margin-bottom:15px;-webkit-column-break-inside:avoid;page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid;"> <div style="max-width:250px;background:#222 url(TOPBANNERIMAGEHERE)center;background-size:cover;text-align:center;padding:20px 0;"> <img src="USERICON" style="width:70px;padding:5px;border:5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.4);border-radius:110px;box-shadow:1px 1px 2px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.1);"> </div> <div style="max-width:226px;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.1);padding:12px;line-height:115%;"> <div style="background:#fff;box-shadow:1px 1px 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.08);"> <div style="font-family:helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#777;padding:7px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);font-size:10px;text-transform:uppercase;"> <img src="https://i.imgur.com/rzEAtpc.png" style="float:left;margin:1px 0px 0 0;padding-right:8px;"> <b style="color:#222;letter-spacing:1px;">CHARACTERNAME</b><br> UN: USERNAMEHERE </div> <div style="font-family:helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#777;padding:7px 8px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1);text-align:justify;line-height:1.4;"> <b>STATUS:</b> (Faculty or student w/ either subject/occupation for faculty or grade for student) <p> <b>ACCOLADES:</b> (Noteworthy academic or professional achievements) <p> <b>BIO:</b> (IC character bio) </div> </div> </div> </div> </div><a href="http://tessisamess.insanejournal.com/" style="display:block;max-width:250px;margin:10px auto 0 auto;font-family:helvetica,arial,sans-serif;color:#aaa;text-decoration:none;letter-spacing:2px;font-size:7px;text-align:center;">© TESSISAMESS</a></center></lj-raw>

code bases by tricklet

Comments

NOBORU GONGENZAKA | OTA

[betheman]

[[AU Planning info is here! Feel free to comment to it for ideas on pre-game CR, or just hit the top level for first meetings!]]

[B | WINTER BANQUET]

Having attended the school for approximately two years (and such an interesting two years, particularly given the jump from one schooling system to the next), the banquet is not something unfamiliar to Gongenzaka. As is typical for the relatively tall young teen, he's dressed in the school uniform that he...Definitely doesn't have to be dressed in. The uniform, and his trademark iron geta, not to mention the shoulder sash going around his back.

At the moment, he is busy heaping a bunch of meat and other foods onto a plate- he tries to keep it balanced, but of course, there is only so much a werebear can resist...moon or no. And that means plenty of pig, plenty of turkey, plenty of-

"Oo-f!" Annnd he's just about bumped into something (or maybe he actually DID bump into them!?) "AUH-" Whether he successfully caused someone to dump their plate or not, he's quick to apologize. "S- Forgive me, for my clumsiness..! To pay so little attention to my surroundings, particularly in such a crowd, it is an unacceptable act on my behalf..!"

Boy. That's a...Long way to say 'sorry'.

[C | LET'S BREAK THE ICE]

Oh boy.

He wishes, frankly, that he didn't have to participate in this. At all, actually. The icebreakers are awkward. They end in people getting grumpy. Sometimes they go well, sure, but most of the time with him in particular it brings questions about what's going to go on closer to the full moon.

Right now it's a waning gibbous, and he'd really rather be meditating than sitting here, on that note. Except. Well.

He's supposed to have a new roommate. So here he is.

...Holding a beach ball, and reading a question out and Answering it. "...'What is it, which brought you to Daybreak Academy'..." ...He feels like this one is especially mean.

"Auh...W-well, in my case, my best friend had received a letter...so, I asked if it would be possible to attend as well..."

He'd really like to avoid explaining more, but chances are someone in this group won't let him.

[D | THE IRIS]

NOBORU GONGENZAKA
UN: STEADFASTSTANCE

STATUS: Student - Y8

ACCOLADES: (Gongenzaka seems to have filled this out rather properly in point form noting things like electives he's passed with high marks, but more importantly that he's due to inherit responsibilities of the 'Steadfast Dojo' somewhere in Japan. The dojo is noted to be a facility focusing on control and prevention of Lycan issues in the community.)

BIO: Please, call me Gongenzaka- I have attended Daybreak for 2 years, and am currently in year 8! If you are able, please, speak to me in French, or Japanese, as I am still learning English!

© TESSISAMESS

C

[whatsupdanger]

"So you can just ASK and they'll let you in? I thought only weird people could get in here."

Come on, don't hold out on him.

[betheman]

"AUH..." That's a big no, and Gongenzaka doesn't quite fidget on the spot so much as go entirely rigid. "T-that is to say, it was my parents, whom I requested permission..! My family maintains a large dojo with connections to supernatural matters, so it is not uncommon..."

HE'S HOLDING OUT AS LONG AS HE CAN DAMMIT also he's throwing the ball at Miles now.

[whatsupdanger]

Throw him under the bus why don't you? Miles caught the ball, then spent a minute trying to detach his hand from it so he could actually read the question GOD why was his superpower so hard to control!? "Agh, THERE. Uh...'What was the weirdest thing you had ever seen before coming here?'"

A moment's thought. "Probably the time I saw an entire mob of white guys with dreadlocks marching past my house with Legalize Marijuana signs. Who WRITES these signs?"

B

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's plate is balanced a lot more precariously as he slides it besides Gongenzaka's to add a turkey leg to his assortment of meat, bread, cheese, and there's a dessert in there...

He raises a brow, holding his hand up in a surrendering gesture. "Hey, it's just me."

[betheman]

....He looks up from where he reflexively bowed his head and screwed his eyes shut.

"Oh." So it is. "E-Even still, an apology is most certainly in order..!!" he insists, glancing at the other's plate to make sure nothing fell.

It is about then that he notices what's On the plate, and his panic fades for idle disappointment. "....Yuuya. ...You have dessert upon your plate already..."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's expression drops.

"Yeah, and do you have anything but meat on yours?" He points at it emphatically. Two can play the judgement game.

[B | WINTER BANQUET]

[yokeye]

Toki manages to keep his plate upright and avoid any food falling to the floor. He looks over at the kid who bumped into him, and he's... interesting. Wearing the uniform when it wasn't required? Why? Toki raises an eyebrow when the kid starts talking like some overly-formal old man, but at least he spoke Japanese. He seems flustered and genuinely contrite.

“It's okay! No harm done!”

The kid's plate is piled high with assorted meats, and Toki doesn't ask permission before he snatches a piece from the top of the mound and adds it to his own plate.

“That looks good. Is there always this much food?”

LMK IF I MISREAD THE TAG BTW it just reads like toki takin meat off gon's plate lmao

[betheman]

"Mnh..!!" Good on Toki catching the first stumbled and fumbling 'sumimasen' slip that came before the string of broken english- when the other starts insisting it's fine in his native language, Gongenzaka is honestly thrown for a moment.

He quickly beams, and gets right back to the matter at hand however. ...And then scowls, after some of his meat is taken. Toki....why...

"Aauh, there is indeed..!" he replies, holding his plate away. "...Though it is considered perhaps more proper to take from the tables, rather than another's plate..." That was His, sir,

why no, how horrible a crime

[yokeye]

“It was closer,” Toki says, like that was an obvious explanation for food thievery. “You're not really going to eat all that yourself anyway, are you?”

He takes a closer look at Gongenzaka and can't help but laugh a little.

“Why are wearing geta? It's France.”

[tiredcharmer]

Tyzias's standard suite of runic matrices included three arrays: big fuckoff laser, a short range force teleport, and a big fuckoff shield. Gongenzaka bumps into the latter. Tyzias blinks, stepping back, then scrambles to help the werebear pick up what's salvageable (by Tyzias's definition everything is salvageable so long as it won't obviously kill you). "Damn. Sorry, didn't see you, I-- oh Jesus fucking Christ please stop apologizing it's making me feel even worse."

[betheman]

"Mnh-!?" He had, fortunately, finished the apologies. Even so- "Wor- But it is my own fault, that I crashed into what you have here, is it not..?"

Maybe. Yes? It might take a moment to decipher from the somewhat broken english going on.

[tiredcharmer]

Tyzias pauses, forcing her brain to shift gears. This place was French, right? It'd been a while, but... "Do you speak French better?" she asks in very stilted French, although with perfect grammar and pronunciation.

B!

[atomicultimatum]

Was that a yelp? Like, a dog yelp? Like those tiny 'aarf' noises that they make when you step on their tail or paw?

Yes, it was.

Thankfully she doesn't have a whole lot on her plate yet, but like Gongenzaka, there's a whole lot more meat on there than anything else.

She whirls around with a growl almost out, but stops short as this guy starts apologizing to the nth degree. Was he at the bottom of whatever hierarchy there is here?

"It's okay, it's fine, really." Nothing dropped, thankfully, and she wasn't hurt. Nothing to apologize over, in her book.

[betheman]

A yelp!?

Hey don't start growling, he won't like that. As it is, he seems to be in school uniform so...probably not in a hierarchy. Definitely not. "Auh- are you certain, then?" he questions, before moving right along. "...Then, if you say so..! I am glad to see you are uninjured!"

If only because boy, that's pretty easy when he crashes into something.

[atomicultimatum]

Sorry, she didn't mean to growl, Gongenzaka. Just a knee-jerk reaction.

She sniffs and smiles, "I'm glad nothing fell." Was... that a joke? Might've been, "Are you a bear?" He sure does smell like one. She only encountered them maybe twice before. Sorry if she's being rude or no one is supposed to know that he's a bear (in disguise, as she thinks).

C

[kill_ua]

"Booooo! Just answer the question properly!"

The shorty across the circle is complaining loudly, despite having absolutely no stake in any of this.

[betheman]

"MNH-!" Boy, that nearly has Gon jumping a foot-

Tense as he is however, he manages to keep...some composure.

A fraction, really. "Th- It is without a doubt a proper answer..!! My family is one which works within the Supernatural community..! Therefore, we were already aware of Daybreak, and the benefits which attending could provide..!!"

...For a lycan dojo.

As it is, the ball is chucked over at Killua. "Perhaps, you yourself should answer a question also..!"

[kill_ua]

Killua catches the ball, looking at where his thumb landed. "Same question, huh..."

Despite giving Gon a hard time about his vague answer, he shrugs. "To get stronger," he says as if that clears everything up.

B - you look like you got a lot on your plate but have... more...

[unpocoloco]

He hadn't a thing in his hand except for the fine bottle of who-knows-what that he'd quietly snatched off a faculty table. In that way, Gongenzaka's in luck, for it means very little food is spilled when he's bumped into. Instead, he gets to witness the mad scramble as Héctor plays keep away with the ground, knocking the bottle through the air with his hands before falling hard himself and then managing to catch the glass.

He rolls over on the floor and grins. "Ah, Don't worry about it! See that?" He shakes the bottle to let it slosh. "Didn't spill a drop!"

He hasn't been in this school for quite so long as Gongen here. The first thing he thought on seeing the big guy was that he reminded him a little of Ernesto but even only being here half a semester he could tell that that was about where the similarity ended. Ernesto couldn't have knocked him flat like this if he'd tried.

He hopes he'll be surprised, but in his mind he's already counting down to when that apologetic look turns to disapproval.

whispers no i love it,

[betheman]

Vague resemblance is definitely the only thing going for the comparison. As it is, the apologetic look hasn't faded...Yet. Actually for a moment he nearly joins in the mad scramble to keep from dropping his own food- before properly realizing who it is.

It's still not disapproval yet. Wait until he realizes what's in that glass, maybe. "AUH-! H-Hector!" That's your name yes? Yes. Anyway. "Mnh... ...That is fortunate then..." He won't ask how you drink. Or eat. Dead people, man.

...

"...Auh. Just...what sort of punch is that, however...it does not seem like anything I have seen on the tables..." he realizes, squinting. He sniffs, the squint increasing. "...nor does it smell familiar..."

Now. The disapproval is coming.

[unpocoloco]

Listen, Gon, sometimes it's better just to not ask these things.

His slight grin is enough to confirm Gon's got his name right. He climbs up to his feet just in time to be met with the inevitable question. That's right, no one's normal here. He keeps forgetting that and then being surprised when people can do things like smell what's inside a closed bottle.

"Ah, this? I was just... it's for the faculty! For the faculty table!" And he'll just neglect to mention that he is taking it from them, not bringing it back. "They wouldn't want this where some underage kid can get their hands on it. So I was just taking care of it. You know. Precaution."

B

[ex_lianhua735]

[When the boy bumps into him, Kanda's plate goes crashing to the floor and shatters. He may have let it drop, he may not have. The boy has an excessive amount of food piled on his plate; a veritable mountain of meat. Kanda stares at him as he stutters out a long-winded apology, as if that was all it took to amend this infraction. He knew this boy from last semester; Gonjinaka or some such. He couldn't be bothered to remember all of the students' names. Kanda narrows his eyes and tersely responds.]

Unacceptable is exactly what this is. Clean it up.

[He nudges a jagged piece of ceramic with his foot.]

And Gonjinaka? Just because you're a bear doesn't mean you need to eat like a pig. Have some self control, you're disgusting.

[betheman]

[[OOC - I'm assuming from your tag that it would have to be distant at least so!]]

HMNH!?

[And just like that, all politeness almost flies out the window.

The meat, to Gongenzaka's credit, isn't piled haphazardly at least. This mountain was made with care...not that it helps the comment. Or everything else. Very quickly the teen backs off, eyes wide as the insult sinks in. A golem is already on its way to handle the cleaning- that's one of the reasons they're there, after all.

It leaves room for Gon to stare rather incredulously for half a second longer to realize Oh.

It's this guy.

Gongenzaka isn't in any of Kanda's classes of course- they're not exactly in his field. But he definitely knows people who Have taken the classes, and spotted him occasionally... Not that it makes this any greater a situation.] That-

[He straightens, mood growing severe.] My clumsiness, certainly is a matter for which I owe apology and assistance- but what and how I choose to eat here is far from your concern, Mr. Kanda! As well...

It is Gongenzaka..! [What kind of teacher are you!!!]

[ex_lianhua735]

[He's standing up for himself, that was unexpected. Kanda hadn't had any real interaction with Gongenzaka previously, but assumed he would be an easy target because he was always so damn polite to everybody. Challenge accepted.]

It's Professor Kanda, you impertinent little shit! Your eating habits are my concern because you're setting a bad example for the other students with your gluttony, Gongenzaka.

[He glares the kid, very much with malice.]

Your backtalk is not appreciated. How dare you be so insubordinate and disrespectful.

[He's the kind of teacher who hates you for no reason other than that you exist.]